By Jordan Stewart
Once again, Bedford will not participate in the School Choice program. Schools participating in the program allow students from other school districts to attend their schools. In the past, the School Committee has chosen not to participate and elected to continue this policy at their meeting on May 14.
Davis and Lane School Principals Beth Benoit and Rob Ackerman presented plans for improvements to the school programs for the 2019-20 school year. At the Davis School, the curriculum will be getting a massive revamp. While in previous years improvements to the school have been led by the School Council, most of the upcoming changes will be based on data and feedback from the schools’ teachers and students.
Two of the primary focuses of the new curriculum are social/emotional development and culturally responsive teaching. Classes will be based on the Responsive Classroom model, which emphasizes developing both intellectual and social skills to succeed in and out of school. In handling socially and culturally diversifying classes, teachers will focus on teaching in ways which apply to all students, and all can relate and participate in. New programs will also be tested on some classes, such as the Lucy Calkins Reading Workshop, which gives students a voice in the curriculum for their class, and the Just Right Phonological Awareness Program, which screens for students who might struggle with reading later in life, to be used in all kindergarten classes. The integrated preschool will also be housed in the Davis School, and be integrated with the K-2 program there. School Committee Chair Daniel Brosgol commended the massive improvements, and all the work Principal Benoit has put into them.
The Lane School will see changes in the upcoming year as well. One focus for Principal Ackerman is on lowering anxiety for students and parents. Addressing everything from social tension to climate change to MCAS testing, Ackerman sees working to make students and parents feel as comfortable and at ease as possible essential in creating a positive schooling experience. He hopes to achieve this by bringing in counselors for students and staying in close contact and arranging frequent discussions with parents. Also, similarly to the Davis School, the Lane School will work towards creating a space that teaches and celebrates all cultures and the diverse student body
As always, MCAS testing is a focus for the schools, as they work towards balancing its importance with the stress it places on students and teachers and time it takes away from teaching. Specifically, they will be focusing on the lowest 25% scorers on the test and tracking their improvement from year to year. They also plan to implement the Lucy Calkins Workshop in every class in the school and consult with Landmark Outreach, a program which helps improve language-based classrooms.
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